When Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez meets the media this afternoon, we will find out the official status of Wildcats freshman safety Scottie Young Jr.
Young was arrested Wednesday night on a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence. Rodriguez’s 2 p.m. news conference represents the first time he will have met with reporters since the arrest became public.
Based on the zero-tolerance policy Rodriguez established last year with running back Orlando Bradford – and the particulars of Young’s case – it’s reasonable to assume Young will face some sort of discipline.
If that discipline includes a suspension, Arizona will lose one of its better players. Young has started every game and ranks third on the team with 20 tackles, including 1.5 for losses. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the fifth-most effective freshman in the nation entering this past weekend.
Before we kick off Week 5 tonight, here's a look at our top freshman through the first four weeks of the season. pic.twitter.com/BM2YoOjNHQ
— PFF College Football (@PFF_College) September 28, 2017
If sophomore Isaiah Hayes were healthy, the Wildcats would have an obvious replacement at free safety. But Hayes, a part-time starter as a freshman, underwent apparent season-ending shoulder surgery last week.
So what would Arizona’s options be if Young were unavailable for Saturday’s game at Colorado and possibly beyond? Here’s a look at several possibilities, listed in order of most to least likely:
Option 1: Start Jarrius Wallace at free safety.
Coaches and players were high on Wallace in the preseason, touting his intelligence and aggressiveness. He has been listed as the No. 2 free safety and has played in all four games, mostly on special teams. Wallace has not been credited with a tackle.
Wallace is a redshirt freshman; his next college start will be his first. But elevating him to the starting lineup would enable Arizona to keep the rest of the secondary intact. The other options would not.
Option 2: Move Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles to free safety.
Flannigan-Fowles plays the “Bandit” safety position but often ends up in a center-fielder role. There’s little doubt that he could handle playing free safety.
But would Arizona want to move perhaps its best defensive player to a new position in midseason? And would the Wildcats want to start untested freshman Troy Young?
Young likely would take over at Bandit if Flannigan-Fowles moved to free safety. Troy Young drew almost as much praise as Scottie Young during training camp. The two are not related, but they were lumped together in almost every discussion of standout freshmen.
Like Wallace, Young has appeared in all four games, mostly playing on special teams.
Option 3: Insert Tristan Cooper into the starting lineup.
Cooper is among Arizona’s most experienced backups. But the sophomore plays the “Spur” position, which is more of an in-the-box safety role.
Inserting Cooper into the lineup would necessitate moving him or starting Spur Dane Cruikshank to free safety. Cruikshank just learned to play Spur after playing cornerback last season.
Option 4: Start Jarvis McCall Jr. at free safety.
McCall has fallen down the depth chart; he does not appear on the two-deep. But he’s a redshirt senior with extensive experience (22 starts from 2014-16). If the coaching staff wants a veteran presence, McCall would provide it.
